What's New In February 2003

Hi everybody. Well I said I'd get up to date soon and I'm not sure whether you will be reading this in February but it's close. Okay give me a couple of weeks and I'll bring you the March update. That will include another grab-bag as your mail continues to flood in. Thanks for that. I will check out the forum and answer any questions but for now just a few words on the Yugoslav Attack 9 0-0-0 that one subscriber enquired about.

When I first wrote WWTD, I was a bit na´ve about 9...Bd7. That had always received bad press but it should come across in WWTD2 that obviously there is a lot more to it than just following up with ...Rc8, ...Ne5 and ...Nc4, effectively losing two tempi on the 9 Bc4 variations (i.e. White obviously gains on Bf1xc4 as opposed to Bc4-b3xc4).

9...Nxd4 10 Bxd4 Be6 remains a solid system against which I believe that a quick h-pawn advance is the most testing. I'm constantly bemused by the reluctance of White players to engage in this as I don't personally believe that any of the other lines are a problem for Black.

Throughout time, despite its occasional low points, 9...d5 has remained. Although it has not always been to my own taste, I do believe that it is currently holding up well.

I am prepared to play all 3 variations and that is possibly the reason why I have 9 0-0-0 played against me so rarely (i.e. my opponents have so much prep to do for the game).

To download the February '03 Dragon Sicilian games directly in PGN form click here: